How to Prevent a Bad Experience at Airport Security

A reader suffered an asthma attack during an airport security inspection and couldn't get access to her inhaler. Here's how you might prevent your own alarming moment in the security line.

Q: I would like to request your advice regarding an incident that occurred at a security checkpoint at Charles De Gaulle (CDG) Airport. My husband was routinely cleared through security. Even though I, a septuagenarian great-grandmother, had TSA Precheck, a security agent directed me to step aside and detained me in order to inspect my carry-on bag. When I realized I would incur a delay, I told my husband to proceed to the gate where I would meet him.

I anticipated that the security agent would just look through my carry-on, as has been the custom a couple of times at security check points in the United States. Instead, he unpacked, piece by piece, the entire contents and scattered my belongings (including prescription medications, prescription eyeglasses, toiletries, my camera, a jewelry case, clothing, and souvenirs) across the checkpoint counter!

Because of the resulting stress and very real concern that I would miss my flight, I suffered a severe asthma attack. I asked, both in English and in my halting French, for the prescription inhaler medication that I had packed in my carry-on bag. Although I was clearly having difficulty breathing, the security agent would neither give the inhaler to me nor allow me retrieve it from the items he was inspecting. Further, when he would not release my inhaler and I asked for medical assistance, he ignored my request. At that point, the situation changed from a major inconvenience to a very serious threat to my physical safety and well-being.

When the security agent finally finished, I was shaking so badly that I had difficulty gathering my belongings and re-stowing them in my bag. I did attempt to report the incident to the security agent's supervisor; however, he evidently did not comprehend the seriousness of the situation. Miraculously, I reached the gate in time to join my husband and board our flight before departure.

I would greatly appreciate your offering advice regarding: 1) How do I deal with such an emergency situation if I were to experience similar treatment in the future? 2) To protect other travelers who might also experience a medical emergency at a CDG security check point, what procedure might I follow to register a formal complaint with the security department at that airport?—Margaret M., Winchester, Virginia

A. To address the second question, I contacted Aéroports de Paris (ADP), which owns and manages the civil airports in the Paris area, including CDG. It advised her to send an email to adpweb@adp.fr. There is also a contact form at ADP's website, which I suggested she use as well. If you encounter an issue with security in the U.S., the TSA's contact information is here.

After our reader filed her complaint, she received a request for further information within a few days. ADP asked for a description of the clothing she wore, and the date and approximate time she went through security. Two weeks later, after it investigated, ADP sent a reply. It explained that the bag search was triggered because she had not removed her medication from her bag, some of which contained liquids. While it apologized for the "bad experience," it did not address her medical issue.

My initial attempts to get a statement from ADP failed, but after some assistance from Robert O'Meara, spokesperson for Airports Council International Europe, I received a detailed and informative explanation from Fatiha Saouli, spokesperson for ADP. She apologized for the delay and stated that ADP conducted a thorough investigation. She acknowledged that she understood why the passenger felt personnel lacked empathy, but indicated some of the difficulty may have been due to language issues.

She reiterated that the passenger's bag was searched because the liquids were not removed. When that happens, security is required to perform a thorough inspection. With regard to the encounter, it was filmed by airport cameras. They interviewed the security agent and others who were in the vicinity. While everyone felt badly about the situation, it does appear the security agent asked the passenger if she wanted her inhaler, but she didn't respond (possibly the key moment when the language misunderstanding played its part).

While this appears to be an isolated incident, in an effort to assuage our reader's fears on future visits to Paris, Saouli offered to give her a tour of the airport and to explain the procedures in detail. She wanted her to know that if there is anything ADP could do to make her feel more comfortable, it would try. For the benefit of all travelers' peace of mind, she went further:

"A lot of studies show that going through security checkpoints is the most stressful part of the airport experience. As we are fully aware of this fact, security staff are trained to give extra care to elderly people and families with children. On peak days, we even have special lanes at security for people traveling with kids because they are often traumatized to have to put their stuffed toys through the X-ray."

Mr. O'Meara concurred with her perspective and had the following to say about his own experience:

"In the past few years, I have seen the passenger service culture at Aéroports de Paris undergo huge, positive change. They are working very hard to make every aspect of the passenger experience less stressful and more agreeable.

"On a personal note, I traveled through there with my young family [recently], watchful of the comportment of airport and security staff (following your query) and all went well. Particularly, at security they were very patient and respectful with my children (bending down to talk to them at their level) and even gave them each a Disney-themed airport playbook after they had gone through security (that's not special treatment for me, that was something they seemed to be handing out to anyone with children in tow!)."

Something else to point out is that the TSA Precheck program does not apply to flights departing from international destinations, as the TSA does not have jurisdiction. Still, while that aspect of our reader's letter isn't germane to the circumstances, I wanted to find out how the TSA might handle a similar situation. I spoke with Barbara Peterson, who reports on air travel for Condé Nast Traveler, about her experience when she worked as a TSAairport screener-in-training. She said that if there were any type of medical issue, they would not intervene personally, but were trained to ask for medical assistance immediately.

I also contacted Ross Feinstein, Press Secretary for the TSA, about how screeners would handle a medical issue. He agreed with Peterson's experience. He had not heard of a problem like our reader's and stated, "If there is any medical distress, we would stop and call medical personnel." That's one more indication that this was an isolated incident. That being said, here are a few ways to avoid a similar circumstance and additional stress when going through security:

Get to the airport early. When you're not in a rush, you have the time to deal with circumstances that are out of the ordinary.

Know the rules about what you can and can't put in your carry-on and follow them. This will minimize the chances that you will be selected for additional screening. Both in its My TSA app, and online, the TSA has a "Can I bring my…" tool, which allows travelers to enter the name of an item and find out whether it is allowed and how it should be packed. You can also contact your airline or departure airport—ADP, for instance, provides easily accessible information in the "Preparation" section of its website.

Declare amounts larger than the standard limit (3.4 ounces) of medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols to security officers at the checkpoint for inspection.

Bring your prescription, or documentation from your physician, as an additional measure to make sure your medications or medical devices are accepted. There are still some items, however, that require special permission or are not allowed, such as oxygen tanks. Again, check the rules before you fly.

Expect that if you have anything unusual in your carry-on, it could trigger additional screening—one more reason to get to the airport early.

When I contacted our reader to relay the information from Ms. Saouli at ADP, she said she is glad to know ADP conducted a thorough investigation. She hopes it alerted personnel to the problem so that it won't happen to other passengers. She also stated that, while she isn't fluent in French, she used the terms médecin (doctor) and médecine (medecine) when speaking with the security agent, not remembering which term is correct. It's still not entirely clear why this failed to get her the help she needed, but it's a good reason to take the simple steps above to be ready for possible misunderstandings in the future.

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